1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electronic apparatus which has a battery storage unit, and more particularly to a locking mechanism configured to prevent movement of a battery stored in the battery storage unit from an opening of a battery storage housing in a direction that the battery is inserted and removed.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, a battery has been used as a power source in a portable electronic apparatus, such as a digital camera. Therefore, the electronic apparatus is provided with a battery storage device to store the battery in a housing. The battery storage device is provided with a battery insertion/removal port to enable a user to insert and remove a battery and a battery lid which can be opened and closed at the battery port.
Some of the battery storage devices are provided with a locking mechanism to prevent the battery from moving in a direction that the battery is inserted and removed. Japanese Patent No. 4019776 discusses a locking mechanism including a locking member capable of moving along one side of a battery as seen from an opening of a housing, via which the battery is inserted into and removed from the battery storage unit.
However, since the locking mechanism discussed in Japanese Patent No. 4019776 includes the locking member that can move along one side of the battery, it is necessary to secure a margin of the locking member to move in a thickness direction (front-rear direction) of the housing of the electronic apparatus. Moreover, since the locking mechanism is arranged near a hinge portion which enables the battery lid to open and close, a required space is increased. In order to secure such a space, it becomes necessary to form angular corners on the housing of the electronic apparatus around its hinge portion, for example. Thus, this requirement makes it difficult to reduce thickness and downsize the electronic apparatuses.